As an occasional football fan, I struggle with the penalty-seeking, overly dramatic, and sometimes truly violent mean-spirited shite. Love the core of the game; hate that crap.

Was I watching with clarity when I say that Colombia just seemed meaner? I’d prefer being an educated viewer. Thoughts?

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Change, when it comes, will step lightly before it kicks like thunder. (GRMatthews)You are being naive if you think that any sweet and light theme cannot be strangled and force fed it's own flesh. (Nora)www.starlit-lands.com

As an occasional football fan, I struggle with the penalty-seeking, overly dramatic, and sometimes truly violent mean-spirited shite. Love the core of the game; hate that crap.

Was I watching with clarity when I say that Colombia just seemed meaner? I’d prefer being an educated viewer. Thoughts?

The referee on that game was horrible, just horrible. He paused the game multiple times to just talk (and he talked waay too much) with the players instead of just punishing the infractions. Result: both teams thought they could simply overwhelm the referee and win decisions by screaming louder than the opponent. He should've sent off a Colombian player and didn't even verbally warn the multiple simulations by England.

In the second half the referee was probably warned of that and showed yellow cards left an right for both teams, even for infractions not worth of it, probably angering both teams even more.

Both teams's nerves got fired up with all this, and Colombia, losing the game, much more than the English. Then England started simulating fouls (there were 3 or 4 very laughable simulations) making the Colombians even more mad, specially when the referee didn't even verbally warn the divers. Already lost in the game, the referee didn't punish more forceful tackles by Colombians either.

France x Uruguay. I'm betting on France for various reasons. First, overall they are a better team, specially if Cavani can't play. Second, since they are on the same path as us to the final, I prefer 100x to face France in the semis rather than Uruguay, even if the French have a better team.

Why is that? It's simply because of the unique take Uruguay have on the game. When you face Uruguay, you don't enter the pitch to play football. You enter the pitch to fight a war.

There will be lots of provocations, mind games, tackles fiercer than usual (though usually not disloyal), massive pressure on the referee, falling on the pitch or simulating injury to force the game to stop when the adversary is with a much better rhythm, etc... they do everything to make the opposing side lose composure and concentration. It's a tradition of their style.

This is why even though France is favored, they can very well lose if their coach doesn't prepare them for that. And since they might be our next foes, all this "war scenario" is pretty bad for us, considering the emotionally unstable prima donna that Neymar is. He started the Cup diving, getting angry at defenders and costing attacks when he kept trying to dribble and humiliate them, complaining to referees and forgetting to just play. That changed in the last two games, but a heavy dose of Uruguyan gamemanship may be all it needs to make things go haywire.

So yea, I rather face France than Uruguay, all day.

On the other hand, if we lose to Belgium I wouldn't be that much upset. It's a really good team.

But the strength of our team is our defense. One goal suffered, and an illegal one at that. Recent conquests at 94 and 2002, and even back to Pelé times, were always won with very solid defenses, and fantastic teams losing it because of crappy ones.

Too bad Casemiro can't play tomorrow. The best defensive midfielder in the world has definitely helped the team having the best defense of the tournament. That could be Belgium's chance at the game.

Uruguay also has the best defense with only one goal suffered, but Arabia, Egypt (without Salah) and Russia were nowhere really testing. And France took 3 from a tactically broken Argentina.

Except for us and Belgium (curiously) all other teams are depending far too much on 1-2 players, and when they don't work the team's performance, specially on attack, drops dramatically. And their defense (except Uruguay) doesn't look as composed and strong either.

Too bad Casemiro can't play tomorrow. The best defensive midfielder in the world has definitely helped the team having the best defense of the tournament. That could be Belgium's chance at the game.

How prophetic I was...

Casemiro's substitute made an own goal, lost the ball that originated the second goal and also missed a bazillion passes in the attack.

But props to Belgium. They definitely had the team to do it and they did it. I'm not even upset, specially since despite the anxiety, we had enough chances to turn the game around and kept missing... and Courtois will get a statue in Belgium.

And like us, they didn't rely solely on just one or two players. They had 4-5 decisive players like us. They hit our goal four times and made two goals. We hit theirs eleven and made one, plus some absurd chances gone outside.

France x Belgium now will probably decide the champion. The sports fan in me wants to see Belgium x Croatia at the final just to have an unprecedented champion.

And another landmark wasn't beaten. Except for Pelé in 58, a World Cup in Europe is... well, Europe's.

Not much to add to Lanko's analysis since he was spot on. That own goal basically ruined Brazil's chances. Does it make Belgium's victory less well-deserved? Obviously not. But you always hope for a proper match with clean goals.

Well, the Fantasy-Faction sweepstakes, I mean, the World Cup, rumbles on.

It unrealistic, but now I want Henry Dale vs. Overlord et al in the final.

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Change, when it comes, will step lightly before it kicks like thunder. (GRMatthews)You are being naive if you think that any sweet and light theme cannot be strangled and force fed it's own flesh. (Nora)www.starlit-lands.com

For tomorrows predictions, Croatia beats Russia. This is a much more objective team, with none of the mindless passing around of Spain. Unless all their main players play as badly as they did against Denmark, that is.

England x Sweden. I'd bet England. I have almost zero knowledge of what Sweden is about. Their game against Switzerland was probably one of the worst matches in the tournament, won with an own goal. But if all their defense and marking causes England to be nervous and manages to stop England to provide for Kane, then who knows, a lucky corner or free kick could cause an upset.

Only found this now, but EA made simulations of the World Cup in their FIFA games. They actually got the quarter finals of the left side totally right

On the right side not so much... they got it right Croatia x Denmark and probably how Spain x Russia would normally go, what probably would happen in Colombia x England if Colombia had James available and only messed up with Germany.

The engine also got it right in 2010 when it also said Spain would win and in 2014 for Germany

But on the other hand, good news for @Henry Dale . Since 1990, whoever eliminates Brazil always reaches the final. Though except for Germany in 2014 they always lose it. Argentina in 1990, France in 2006 and Netherlands in 2010 were all vice-champions.

Wait a second... if whoever eliminates Brazil reaches the final but loses it... does that mean the good news is actually for... @Nighteyes?

Change, when it comes, will step lightly before it kicks like thunder. (GRMatthews)You are being naive if you think that any sweet and light theme cannot be strangled and force fed it's own flesh. (Nora)www.starlit-lands.com